Amongst the many vibrant installations, Black Waves stands alone as an emotive showcase of one consistent scene – that of the unforgiving great ocean. Upon entering the exhibition, visitors are boxed in to dark room, illuminated only by the rolls and roars of crashing waves.

The waves themselves are computer generated in a 3D virtual space and presented as a continuous body. This was achieved by calculating the interactions of hundreds of thousands of particles. These particles were then extracted and lines were drawn in relation to their movement to create the artwork; teamLab refers to this technique as creating an ultra-subjective space.

Beyond the crushing sound of the ocean’s waves, which was designed by Hideki Takashashi, the exhibition remains mostly quiet. Visitors feel completely immersed into the exhibition – as time passes, it will almost feel as if the waves are physically engulfing all your senses. Beyond being an artistic spectacle, Black Waves is a solace for visitors who seek to soothe their mind. Despite it’s looping facade, one could easily spend hours here.

teamLab remarked that Black Waves was inspired by Japanese paintings of oceans and rivers, where by these bodies of water were expressed as a series of lines; these lines allow the viewers to see the waves as a living entity. “This is a way of seeing the world that lures us in and allows us to feel that there is no boundary between ourselves and nature.”